. >> tammy: jennifer emert with which vehicles perform best in snow. >> reporter: promoting all-wheel drive vehicles that can go in any weather, especially snow. before you get overly confident, performance issues in all-wheel drive vehicles. consumer reports puts three of the most popular suvs to the test. honda, suburu forester . >> tires, stability control, all-wheel drive systems, when put together, that's how well they'll perform in the snow. >> reporter: zero to 60 in the snow than on dry pavement. the forester did better climbing a hill covered with fresh snow. >> a certain amount of wheel flip which helps it maintain momentum. >> reporter: the rav-4 and forester were able to stop in the same distance. though twice as far as on dry the handling core unresponsive steering. the honda crv stability control the suburu forester cornered the way it should perform. a lot of people here with foresters, consumers recommend you equip your car or suv with winter tires. all-wheel drive is getting you started in the snow. you can find information about this story and other consumer news on

. >> larry: news 13's jennifer emert has details. what else do documents reveal. >> reporter: authorities now say a lock pit kit used in john bailey clark's death. in addition to the federal indictment, suleiman was also indicted. what appeared to be a blood trail and drag marks coming out of the house. authorities today say they the case which led to 19 year-old sullivan. he's being held on federal charges without bond. among the items seized were a lock pick kit. a black ski mask, laptops, and books relating to warfare and weapons. sullivan's mother received a silencer in the mail. when they questioned him about the purpose of the silencer, he offered an fbi agent money to kill his parents. >> larry: tonight we have a news 13 crew on the way to morganton working to bring you more information on this story. >> tammy: turning now to a developing story. an autopsy is underway to determine how a haywood county toddler died over the weekend. >> larry: the 17-month old little boy died yesterday near canton. >> tammy: rex, you talked to f

two-part series, jennifer emert uncovers what some body shops and insurance companies may not want you to know. >> reporter: unregulated repair shops are cutting corners. you may be shocked who is recommending these repairs. >> i think a lot of people have said enough's enough. and they're not going to compromise people's safety any longer. >> reporter: news 13 is exposing a dirty repair shop's secret when you're most vulnerable and needing repairs. your insurer may be paying closer attention to the bottom line than safety. a drp is a direct repair program. >> i'll send you work, you do this for me. so it's kind of a you scratch my you get me a lower repair rate. >> reporter: michael bradshaw says repairs are made using less expensive copies or after market parts. >> are they as safe? >> i don't believe they are. >> reporter: there are instances where the parts can be used and could save drivers costly repairs. >> our number one priority is to make sure that it's safe to drive. >> the door actually rubs the fender. >> reporter: that said, when the insurance institute for highway safety

. >> frank: jennifer emert joins us with information on how to make the perfect waffle. >> reporter: consumer reports set out to find which waffle maker makes the best waffle. they also tested which maple syrup to find out which one tastes the best. morning waffles are a treat for many families. if you feel like you're missing out, consumer reports tried out a half dozen of the most popular waffle makers on the market. the machines were tested on their high and low setting. how consistent they were from batch to batch. some took a lot of practice to turn out a perfect waffle. like this aluminum belgian consumer reports found that the warring belgian waffle maker can be toasted to your liking, light to dark. kweesenart. and it beeps when your waffle is ready so you don't have to keep an eye on it. but wait, your waffle isn't complete without a dose of maple syrup. the real stuff that comes from trees. consumer reports taste tester sampled 14 syrups. ellen clausic said her team . now pancake syrup is far less expensive than pure maple syrup fructose corn syrup. for more information on

news 13's jennifer emert looks into who is responsible for tracking foreign workers or tourists once they are in the u-s. tonight at 11, find out the vetting process. 3 3 3 we have an early bird gets the win giveaway this morning! we are giving away a 50 minute massage at "hand and stone massage and facial spa" in asheville. go to facebook dot com slash news 13 to enter. we will announce the winner just before seven this morning. 3 3 3 coming up in our five at five... in honor of the westminster dog show, we are taking a look at the most popular dog breeds in america. my computer's dying again. you'll need to email us so we can issue you a ticket. but you're right here. it's protocol. or, you can try staples tech services next day guarantee. it's fast and done right. i'll do that instead. in by noon, out by 5 the next day. 3 3 the world is about to meet one of the three lucky winners from the record-breaking powerball drawing last month. public today. the jackpot was worth more than a billion-and-a-half-dollars. one of the tickets was sold at a publix grocery store in melbourne beach

. >> frank: news 13's jennifer emert joins us. >> reporter: one advantage is you'll likely get your refund sooner. filing could also help you avoid a tax scam or avoid getting your identity stolen. taxes, the irs had flagged our account because someone had filed a phony return under my number. >> reporter: an attempt to steal their refund. >> filing a tax return early is a great way to avoid this scam. you get your paperwork in early before a criminal can file under your name. >> reporter: about 2/3 of americans get a refund. which last year averaged about $2,700. filing early is also beneficial if you owe taxes, so you know exactly how big the tax bite will be. >> that way you'll have plenty of time to figure out where the money is going to come from or to set up a payment schedule. this year you have to pay by april 18th. and you don't want to be late or incur any penalties and fines. >> reporter: you may be able to get a better deal on college financial aid. early applicants often get more money. if you file early, don't rush through it. that avoids having to amend it later. which could

. >> darcel: jennifer emert is here with more on this process. jennifer, why does the government struggle with this? >> reporter: it all has to do with how the system is set up. and if ups could track a box around the world, you'd think the government could track individuals inside its own border. washington protocols don't go far enough. >> all this gets hot and there's nats and bugs. >> reporter: skilled labor does not grow on trees. >> even the human hand can do a lot of damage if you don't know important. >> if you can tell me how i can get a legal, reliable work force any other way, we'd be glad to do it. >> reporter: a lot of workers are here on an h2a visa. 600 end up in western north carolina. u.s. immigration keeps a close watch. >> they can come anytime and audit us, audit our records. >> reporter: it's one of the more regulated visa programs. >> if you do fire one or if he leaves on his own, you have to notify the immigration people within two days. that's our only responsibility. >> reporter: visas are kind of like a deck of cards. the

news 13's investigative reporter, jennifer emert is discovering what information is being sold and how the state gets away with it. seemingly non-stop. in the hands of postal carriers, an invasion of your privacy. >> everyone wants to have their privacy protected. >> reporter: it looks like routine junk mail in with bills and the occasional birthday card. urgent, time sensitive, final notice. warning me the warrantee on this car was running out. the only problem, the warranty on this car ran out years ago. >> when she bought a newer car, got a lot of telemarketers sending renewal on automotive insurance on repairs. >> reporter: they started popping up in my mailbox a few weeks after making a stop here, the dmv. >> it's a gray area. i think it needs to be more visible. >> reporter: the state agency has been selling your personal information for the last ten years. >> that's the first i've heard of it. >> i don't like it. >> reporter: but don't feel bad, managers of some of these offices and state lawmakers didn't know about it either, until news 13 raised the issue. >> i had no idea the

. >> and tonight's consumer report, news 13's jennifer emert joins us with ways to maximize your tax refund. >> there's a tax credit that often goes unclaimed that could help those who need it the most. consumer reports has some advice on how to get it. >> a financial counselor helped her file her taxes. she was able to get a refund of those of dollars last year by taking advantage of the earned income tax credit. she said the refund made a big difference. >> it helps a lot. i work hard, but i don't make that much money, so it was a big deal for me. >> consumer reports to by stanger says millions of americans qualify for the earned income tax credit on their tax return. >> if you're a low or moderate worker, this can give you back some or all of the money you've paid in taxes. this can really impact your tax refund. >> the amount of earned income tax credit you can collect depends on your income, marital status and how many children you have. a single person without any children making almost $15,000 a year can get more than $500. and a married couple with three children making almos

jennifer emert, news 13. >> darcel: bernie sanders and hillary clinton took the stage tonight in south carolina. but not together. they just wrapped up a townhall from cnn. we'll hear from them next as they get ready for saturday's democratic primary. >> larry: a pizza delivery driver was kidnapped and robbed. before he was let go.nts: how to put your foot in your mouth. man, wish my yard looked like yours. hey, the grass is always greener on the other side of the... sorry. now get 20% off sta-green fertilizer, at lowe's. what's all this nonsense about balls? pink balls, blue, yellow, red. it's hard to keep the whole thing straight. and all these so-called deals? well, they come with a lot of deal breakers. like when you leave the city the signal goes weak. u.s. cellular built a network to give you a stronger signal where the other guys don't. and as for deals? how's $300 back for every line you switch? $300! get $300 per line and a stronger signal, in the middle of anywhere. >> larry: republican voters in nevada are taking part in tonight's caucuses. this is a live look from las vegas

. >> investigative reporter jennifer emert is tracking it to see what you can do to get the lowest price. >> >> reporter: it is a routine denise mock would gladly trade. >> this is every morning. i have asked my doctors do i absolutely have to have these and based on the thing that's are wrong with me, they said well, unless you want to be dead. >> reporter: but for the die bet good luck one of these pens will last me three-and-a-half days. >> reporter: the insulin she cannot live without is the hardest pill to swallow. >> it went from $45 a month to 178 one month and then 182 the next month. >> reporter: she fell through the financial trap door. when her basic benefits max out, she is left paying 45% of the cost. even higher on generic drugs. rising prescription prices are forcing more into the gap. with no price controls for prescriptions in the u.s., finding the real cost isn't easy. >> in is amanda, can i help you? >> there's a lot of loopholes and a lot of doesn'ts in the system for people to exploit the loopholes. >> reporter: i investigated in the same zip code among the same reta